On a random Saturday morning in the mid 80s, one of my most influential teachers, Bob McCauley, drove me to the top of Pikes Peak for “karate training.” A seasoned practitioner, McCauley Sensei saw things in me that I didn’t see. This happens in young men who attempt to hide their fear and self-doubt with bravado and arrogance. Anyway, Mr. McCauley encouraged me to hit the tournament circuit and helped me to improve my kata and sparring techniques. And like several other great teachers in my lifetime, one of the main components of his instruction was physical conditioning. Hence, our little drive up to the top of the mountain at 14,115 ft above sea level. If you’re wondering, the air is thin.
This became a weekly routine for a couple of months before my first competition. Bob and his lovely wife (I can’t remember her name) treated me like a son. Well, until it came time for me to fulfill the purpose of the mountain trek. Bob had me walk about a mile down from the top and jog back up. He’d watch and poke fun at me and encourage me, all while eating a donut and drinking coffee to rub it in. And during the drive back to town, he’d talk about the importance of being a good husband (I was newly married), of friendship and martial arts.
Now, I was already a consistent runner, but certainly not at 14,000 ft. I had also been coached by several other men, including my older brother, in the art of weight training and it became an important part of my weekly routine. Years later, I met another pivotal karate teacher who introduced me to bone conditioning and the importance of kata, hitting a makiwara (wooden striking post) focus on basic techniques and strength training with various tools and implements. This is a standard training method in Okinawan karate known as hojo undo.
To be honest, I have never been a technically proficient fighter. Average at best, I never possessed the coordination or skill that many of my opponents had. What I did have, however, was conditioning. Running and sprinting allowed me to go many rounds without fatigue. Weight training and basic calisthenics provided me with the ability to hit and kick pretty hard when I got close enough. And, I was able to absorb a lot of punches, which I certainly did, while trying to connect with an opponent. Conditioning is the foundation of good karate.
On a random Sunday in the mid 90s, my wife and I attended one of our first church services held at the Misawa Air Base chapel in Japan. We heard a sermon given by Chaplain Armstrong, an African-American Baptist preacher who seemed to know scripture like the back of his hand. I wasn’t familiar with expository teaching at the time, but he brought the Bible to life for me in a way no one ever had. I grew up in a Catholic home and we never read the Bible. It was the job of the priest to read and interpret scripture and to provide tidbits during the homily. This is not a dig on Catholicism and I understand times have changed for the church. But at that time, we were never encouraged or taught how to read scripture.
After a few Sunday services with Chaplin Armstrong and Chaplin Azar, a Protestant minister who was a “door gunner” in Viet Nam, my spiritual life changed. I began to not only read the Bible, but research it. To study the history, understand Hebrew and Greek translations. Essentially, to do the spiritual conditioning necessary to understand my faith. James 2:14-26 states that “faith without works is dead.” Many believe this passage refers to things like helping the poor, tithing etc., and there is certainly a case for that. But I think it also has to do with our daily walk. “How much time did I spend in prayer today? What types of media did I take in? Did I read the Bible today or listen to a podcast that would help me in my walk? What thoughts did I allow to permeate in my brain? What words did I use to express myself?” These too, are works or lack thereof. Like karate, you have to be willing to train your mind, body and spirit if you want to live as God expects us to. Conditioning is the foundation of a strong faith.
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”
2 Timothy 4:7-8
Dave Magliano
Tatsu Dojo
Jissenkan Budo
Dojo Cho